PRN: World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 is Here

World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 is Here [05-January-2012] HELSINKI, January 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- ï» Helsinki has started its year as World Design Capital 2012.Â With it's year-long programme WDC Helsinki 2012 is one of the world's largest ever expeditions into design.

World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 is Here

[05-January-2012]

HELSINKI, January 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

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Helsinki has started its year as World Design Capital 2012.Â With it's year-long programme WDC Helsinki 2012 is one of the world's largest ever expeditions into design. During 2012 Helsinki, the capital of Finland, will explore the benefits and value of design, and showcase the ways it can improve our cities.

The WDC Helsinki 2012 programme contains about 300 projects, all of them utilising or showcasing design in various ways. Half of the programme consists of various development projects in which design is used in an exceptionally broad extent. These projects deal with the themes 'Transforming the City' and 'Rethinking Design'.

Events geared toward citizens and tourists comprehend approximately one-third of all programme. They are collected under the themes 'Year of Events' and 'Exhibitions'. During the Design Capital year, design movers and shakers from all over the world will gather in Finland in various 'Encounters'. Design will also take center stage in various forms of 'Communications'.

The range of events is lively: something new begins almost every other day. There are more than 80 events in all in the WDC Helsinki 2012 programme for January-March.

The World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 website offers news, columns and blogs about Finnish design. One can also get to know Finnish designers in special video portraits.

The World Design Capital is an initiative of ICSID, the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, which every second year recognizes one global city for its accomplishments in utilizing design as a tool to improve social, cultural, and economic life.